Escaped Carson City inmate found after crashing stolen water truck

An inmate who walked away from work detail at the Stewart Conservation Camp in Carson City on Tuesday has been arrested after crashing a City water truck that he allegedly stole.

Douglas County Sheriff's Office (DCSO) was contacted on Wednesday, March 29 about the attempted theft of a vehicle in northern Douglas County. The reporting party was working on the roof of the Sprint Store on Hwy 395 when he saw the attempt. The suspect was chased away by witnesses, running north towards Fuji Park in Carson City.

As deputies arrived to the area around the park, Carson City employees advised them that their large white water truck had just been stolen. Deputies were looking for the stolen vehicle and suspect in the area when a report of a head-on accident had occurred on Foothill Meadows and Foothill Road in Genoa.

The stolen Carson City water truck had been involved in a head-on/side swipe accident with another vehicle. The driver of the stolen truck ran from the scene and entered a garage in the area where he attempted to steal his third vehicle of the day.

The residents heard the noise in their garage and the suspect was chased away, then onto Limousine Court. The two K-9 deputies that arrived saw the suspect and took him into custody. No one was injured in the car accident.

The suspect has been identified as wanted inmate Martin Eric Joseph, 49. He was sent to the Nevada Department of Corrections (NDOC) on December 8, 2014 and was serving 19-48 months for grand larceny of a motor vehicle. He had previously been approved for parole in 2015 but violated terms of his probation and was returned to NDOC a few months later. Joseph was transferred to the Stewart Conservation Camp in March, 2016 where he worked at the ranch.